Google Adds Free BI to Spreadsheets

Google is looking to make its Spreadsheets application a little smarter.

The Mountain View, Calif., company March 18 said it is using BI (business intelligence) software from Toronto-based Panorama Software to let users leverage analytical and reporting tools.

In beta as a free gadget that loads within Google Spreadsheets, Panorama Pivot Tables for Google Spreadsheets uses the analysis, reporting, scorecard, dashboard and data modeling applications that constitute Panorama's NovaView suite.

However, to create Pivot Tables that satisfy Google's cloud computing model, the company has made its NovaView analytical engine available as a SAAS (software as a service) solution to facilitate the Pivot Table functionality for Spreadsheets.

Oudi Antebi, vice president of marketing and strategy for Panorama Software, told eWEEK that consumers will benefit from the Panorama tools that make Spreadsheets smarter, better helping them manage personal expenses or academic records.

The application of Pivot Tables will likely have a larger impact among businesses that want Google Apps to be more enterprise-friendly. Specifically, ISVs will be able to write customer report templates, analytics and dashboards to boost their short-term decision making and long-term planning.

Read the full story at eWEEK Midmarket.